Retail Chain Backs Free Sting Concert In Central Park

Sting will play a free concert at New York's Central Park on Sept. 12, a performance that is being underwritten Best Buy to promote the retail chain's entry into the metropolitan New York market. The company will open its first 15 stores in the market next month.

The concert, to take place on the park's East Meadow, will be the final stop on Sting's North American tour, and will be the only major Central Park concert this year, according to a statement issued by Best Buy. The concert will be simulcast on the Westwood One radio network.

Best Buy plans to begin the distribution of the free tickets that will be required for entry to the concert in early September. Exactly how the tickets will be doled out has not been announced, but the company is planning to stage a series of promotional events throughout the region.

Sting's "Brand New Day" album, which was released last year, reached No. 10 on the Billboard 200 album chart this week, a new high. The single "Desert Rose" also hit a new peak this week, charting at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Sting's tour travels to South Africa after the New York performance. In October, the ex-Police frontman will open a tour of Japan.